Reduction of zinc oxids.



PIERRE-ARMAND BRANGIER, AGNEW,

PATENT OFFICE.

AND JOHN J. FAULKNER, OF BERKELEY,

CALIFORNIA.

nnnuc'rron or zmc oxrns.

No. 906,191. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. s, 1908.

Application filed May 29, 1907, Serial No. 376,426.- Renewed July 28,1908. Serial No. 445,745.

, To on whom it may concern:-

' 1s at substantially Be it known that we, PIERRE-ABMAND BRANGIER, acitizen of France, residlng at Agnew, Santa Clara county, and JOHN -J.

FAULKNER, a citizen of Great Britain, of Berkeley, Alameda county, andState of California, have-invented new and useful Improvements in theReduction of Zinc OX- ids, of which the following is a specification.Our invention is designedto provide an economic and rapid process ofproducing metallic zinc; and it consists substantially in passinghydrogen or carbureted hydrogen gases over a heated mass of zinc oxid.

i It also comprises details of construction which will be more fullyexplained in the followingspecification.

In carrying out our process, we first heat zinc oxidin an iron retort toa temperature sufficient to volatilize the zinc oxid. Afterthis'temperature is attained, we pass hydrogen or carbureted hydrogenover the heated ore. v 1

The carbureted hydrogen gas may be pro-' duced" ;either from coal gas,or from crude petroleum; and passing over the zinc, which itsvolatilizin temperature, the zinc oxid will be wholFy reduced, and themetallic zinc, and'carbon monoxid or carbon dioxid are formed. Thecharacter of this last product depends entirely'on the composition ofthe'hydrocarbon used in the process, and whether such hydrocarbon bemanufactured from coal, crude petroleum, or if it is a natural gas, thereason for this being the different combinations in which hydrocarbonsappear.

The hydrocarbon or hydrogen being passed over the heated 'zinc oxid asabove described,

the union of the gas and the volatilized zinc oxid reduces the zinc to ametallic state, and it is collected in a receiver or condenser in formof small grains of crystalline zinc or zinc powder may be formed.

The following reactions are believed to take place during the process: I

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is- I I 1. The process herein'described for producingmetallic zinc, said process consisting in heating the ,OXld of zinc to avolatilizing temperature, then mixing therewith a body of hydrocarbongas or vapor, transferring the volatilized zinc to a chamber where thetemperature is reduced ity of the zinc.

2. The process herein described for producing metallic zinc from an oxidthereof,

said process consisting in heating the oxid to a temperature which willvolatilize the metal, and introducing therewith a gas or ,vaporcontaining hydrogen, and finally reducing the temperature to recover theme-' tallic zinc in a fluid form.

to the point of fluid- In testimony whereof we have hereuntoPIERRE-ARMAND BRANGIER.

JOHN J; FAULKNER.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, FREDERICK E. MAYNARD.

